Aussies threatened with $312 for 'innocent' bin night act we're all guilty of

Do you think fine is complete 'rubbish'?

2 min read

October 11, 2024 - 9:18AM

SA council threatens locals with a 'rubbish' fine

Lifestyle

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The Port Adelaide Enfield Council in South Australia has warned residents about potential fines for leaving bins out on the curb for too long.

According to the waste management laws that have been in place for over five years, bins should only be placed on the footpath between 4 pm the night before rubbish collection and midnight the day after collection.

Those who violate this rule and leave their bins out outside this window could face a massive fine of $312.50.

It comes after the council said they receive over 200 complaints each year regarding bins left on the streets.

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Image: Waverly Council

The 'excessive' bin night fine

It’s understood that residents will be contacted by the council to warn them to remove bins from footpaths before any fines are sent out.

“However as a final resort, expiations may be issued,” a spokesperson said, as per The Daily Mail.

The announcement surprised many locals, who were unaware that they could be fined for leaving a bin outside.

Resident Hadi Jafari told The Advertiser he would struggle to pay the fine if his family were to be issued one.

“$300 for a fine is really hard for people to afford, it is really a lot of money,” he said. “We would probably have to repay it over time, I don’t think we could pay it at once so that is not good.”

Other people took to social media to complain about the ‘excessive’ fine.

“How is $312 justified for leaving a bin out too long on a quiet backroad?” one man, who claimed to have been sent a warning letter, said.

In his case, the publication reported that he never ended up receiving a fine.

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"Ridiculous"

Another local deemed the rule ‘absurd’ while someone else called the whole situation ‘ridiculous’.

But despite the outrage, the council said it’s only issued four fines in the last five years.

However, they didn’t comment on how many warning letters had been handed out, as that is handled under a general waste management category that the council could not comment on.

The spokesperson said that the rule was implemented because leaving bins out for too long makes the suburb less accessible.

They said, “Leaving bins out can impact many things, including accessibility for people walking, in wheelchairs or pushing prams on footpaths, and it can also impact vehicle and emergency access on streets.”